Construction of racket presses



J. E. COLTMAN CONSTRUCTION OF RACKET PRESSES Filed Aug. 25, 1922 aSheets-Sheet 1 Jy l 1924.

. J. E. COLTMAN CONSTRUCTION OF RACKET PHESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 11924, 1,500,054

7 J. E. COLTMAN CONSTRUCTION OF RACKBT PRESSES Filed Aug 25, 1922 :5Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 1, 1924.

CONSTRUCTION OF BASKET PRESSES.

Application filed August 25, 1922. Serial No. 584,336.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that JAMES EDWIN COLTMAN,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

siding at Ilford, Essex, England, has invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Construction of Racket Presses, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a racket press which can beclamped automatically and simultaneously at the four corners to a racketor unclamped therefrom without the use of thumb nuts as is now the case,thus obviating the loss of a nut or the trouble of unscrewing the nuts,and at the same time allow for varying the pressure at the corners so asto ensure that the pressure is at all points, even with the varyingthickness of the racket.

According to this invention I employ two sets of bars or framesconnected together at their corners by means whereby, on the simplemovement of a bar or lever, the two sets of bars or frames will becaused to approach or recede from each other.

Such means may consist of screw threaded pins or postsand nuts or plainpins or posts and washers or collars having cam shaped meeting faces,the nuts or collars being connectedby links or levers to a bar or leverso that, on movement of the bar or lever, the nuts or collars will berevolved.

Suitable means may be provided for adjustment to suit variations in thethickness of rackets.

My invention will be clearly understood from the following descriptionaided by the annexed drawings which illustrate two examples of carryingmy invention into effect and in which Figure 1 is a plan of a pressconstructed according to one example of my invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the press shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 a section through one of the corners and Figure 4 a section onthe lines a (1- of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan of struction.

Figure 6 an end view of the press shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 a section through the lines I) Z) of Figure 5. V

Figure 8 an underview of one corner and Figure 9 a plan view showing aracket 1n position with the press clamped on same.

According to the example shown in Figa modified conures 1 to 4, I takethree rods or bars 1, 2, 3 and arrange them so that the two outer bars1, 3 are at opposite angles to the centre one 2 and I connect the twoouter or frame bars 1, 3 at each end by links 4, 4, 5, 5 to the ends ofthe centre bar 2, the links 5, 5 on one end of the bars being of greaterlength than those 4, 4 at the other end of the bars.

I employ two sets of these bar frames and connect them together at theends of the side bars by pins or bolts 6 and screw or cam appliances sothat the frames can be drawn together to grip the racket or be movedaway from one another to release the racket, whilst the link connections4, 4, 5, 5 to the centre bar 2 are by separate and ordinary bolts,rivets 7 or equivalent.

Each pin or bolt 6 may consist of a head 8, square shank 9 and ascrew-threaded end 10. The links 4, 5 of one frame are formed withclearance holes which encircle and are free to revolve on the pins orbolts next to the heads 8, the bars 1 and 3 are formed with square holeswhich pass over the square shanks 9 of the bolts 6 and the links 4, 5 ofthe other frame have square or castellated holes to'receive thecorrespondingly shaped nuts 11.

Springs 12 encircling the bolts 6 are interposed between the links 4, 4and 5, 5'

and springs 13 are positioned to encircle the screw-threaded ends 10 ofthe pins or bolts and press on the nuts 11. The springs 13 and threadedends of the pins or bolts 6 beyond the nuts 11 are enclosed by covers 14secured to the bolts by burring or riveting over the ends of the latter.

Now when the frame is collapsed, that is to say when the links 4, 4, 5,5 are moved by the bars 2 to the position shown in dotted lines Figure1, the nuts 11 will be turned on the bolts 6 (which are formed in pairswith right and left hand threads) by the links 4, 5 and, under theaction of the springs 12, the opposing bars 1, 1 and 3, 3 will be movedfurther apart. The bars 1, 3 having square holes engaging the squareshanks 9 of the pins or bolts 6 will prevent the latter from revolving.

The racket is now inserted between frame bars 1, 1 and 3, 3 and when thelinks 4, 4, 5, 5 are moved back by the bars 2 to the position shown infull lines Figure 1 the nuts 11 will be turned on the bolts 6 to movethe bars 1 and 3 of the opposing bar frames toward one another so as toclamp the racket between them.

By making the connection between the links 4-,, 5 and nuts 11 in themanner described the links can be lifted off the nuts 11 and the nuts 11be adjusted on the pins or bolts 6 to suit the thickness of the racketto be pressed. The links at and 5 can then be replaced so that the presscan be adjusted to suit various thicknesses of rackets and the pair 1-,4 or the pair 5, 5 of said links can be adjusted to suit taperedrackets.

According to the example shown in Figures 5 to 9 I employ in place ofthe bars 1, 3 two frames 15, 15 similar to the ordinary racket press nowin use and four screw threaded pins or posts 6, each having a flange ordisc 8 at one end, such flange being formed with recesses 16, preferablycircular, around the circumference, these pins 6 are passed throughholes in the corners of the frames 15, 15 with a spiral spring 12encircling the pins 6 and positioned between the frames 15, 15 so as tonormally press the frames 15, 15 apart. I

The flanges 8 abut against the outside of one frame 15 which I will callthe bottom frame and on each pin 6 is screwed a nut 11.

Each nut 11 is preferably formed with a square head to engage a squarehole formed in one end of a link 4 or 5, the nuts 11 being burred overor otherwise secured to the links 4, 5. The other ends of the links t, 5are formed with slots 17.

Along the centre of the other frame 15 which I will call top frame, ispositioned a bar 2, preferably hollow, and having a longitudinal slotadjacent to the frame 15 and secured to the latter by angle piecessecured to the frame 15 and having projections passing through the slotinto the hollow bar so that the bar can slide lengthways on the frame 15but will at the same time be secured thereto.

The bar2 carries, opposite to theslot just referred to, two studs 18 orpins upon which are mounted rollers, which rollers work in the slots 17in the links t, The bar 2 is also preferably provided with a handle orknob 19 at one end.

A spring catch 20 is positioned on the top frame 15 to engage in a slotor recess formed in the underside of the bar 2 and thus secure the bar 2against movement.

The pins 6 and nuts 11 are arranged in pairs, that is to say, the twopins and nuts at the wide end of the press comprise one pair and the twopins at the narrow end comprise the other pair, and one pin of each pairformed one with a right hand thread and one pin of each of the otherpair is formed with a left hand thread so that, on moving the ends ofthe links 1-, 5 in one direction, all of the nuts 11 will move in thesame direction along their pins 6.

The studs 18 and rollers on the bar 2 are the same distance apart as thecentres of the two pairs of screw pins 6 and the links 4:, 5 on the nuts6 are of suflicient length to overlap one another with the slots 17 ofeach pair engaging a stud 18 and roller, that is to say, the slots 17 oftwo links 5, 5 of the pair at the wider end of the press engage one stud18 and roller and the slots 17 of the other pair l, 4: engage the otherstud 18 and roller. The studs 18 are preferably formed with heads oflarger diameter than the width of the slots 17 so as to secure the links4t, 5 to the bar.

The parts are so arranged that when the bar 2 is moved lengthwise in onedirection and the links 4-, l and 5, 5 are at an angle to each other theframes 15 and 15 are moved further apart and the racket can be insertedbetween said frames. Now on sliding the bar 2 lengthwise in the otherdirection the links 4, 1 and 5, 5 will be moved and at the same timerevolve the nuts 11 on the pins 6 and thus move the frames 15, 15towards each other against the opposite sides of the racket until eachpair of links 4:, 5 are parallel as shown at Figure 9 when the springcatch 20 will engage in the recess or slot in the bar 2 and secure thebar against movement.

To open the press it is only necessary to release the spring catch 20and move the bar 2 lengthwise in the reverse direction to the positionshown in Figure 5.

It will generally be necessary to adjust the press to the particularracket it is to be used with and this can be easily effected by placingthe racket in the press, moving the bar 2 lengthwise to close the presson to the racket, and then, by turning the flange 8 on a pin 6 adjustingsuch pin in the nut 11 to either tighten or loosen the pressure at thatpart. hen the pin 6 is adjusted a screw 21 or suitable catch can beplaced in one of the recesses 16 to prevent the flange 8 from revolving,or the screw 21 can be permanently inserted and in order to adjust theframes 15, 15 said frames may be pressed together to cause the flanges 8to project beyond that face of the frame 15 with which they engage andfree of the screw 21, in which position the flanges 8 maybe turned tothe desired position. hen the frames 15, 15 are released they will becaused by the springs 12 to move away from one another, and the pins 21will then engage in the recesses 16.

Although in both cases I have described and shown a screw connection foropening and closing the bars or frames it is obvious that any othersuitable form of mechanism, for example two cam surfaces Working overeach other may be employed, in which case I may mount on each pin 6 awasher or end piece having a one, two, three or four lead spiral helicalcam on one face and secured against rotation on the pin and may looselymount on the pin another washer having corresponding cams, in opposedrelation to said firstnamed cams, the last-named wash er being securedto one end of a link, and a nutor collar being employed to form abearing and hold the last-named washer on the pin.

In this case, on moving the bar 2, the Washers connected to the linkswould revolve on the pins 6, and their cam surfaces would ride over thecam surfaces of the other washers which are secured to the pins and soincrease or decrease the distance between the bars or frames.

What- I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patentis 1. A racket press comprising a plurality of pairs of opposed framebars having aligned apertures in their ends, pins passing through saidapertures connecting the opposed frame bars together, means mounted oneach of said pins adapted when actuated to move the opposing frame barstoward and from one another, and means for simultaneously actuating saidlast-named means.

2. A racket press comprising pairs of opposing frame bars having alignedapertures in their ends, pins connecting the ends of the pairs of barsand slidable in said apertures, means adjustable on said pins for movingsaid opposing frame bars toward one another, means for simultaneouslyadjusting said last-named means, and means to prevent said pins fromrotating.

3. In a racket press a pair of opposed frames, each comprising a pair ofside members and a pair of end members, a plurality of clamping deviceseach connecting one end of each side member to the adjacent end of thecomplemental side member of the opposing frame, said clamping devicesadapted, when operated, to press said frames together, and means forsimultaneously operating said clamping devices.

4. A racket press comprising a plurality of pairs of opposing framebars, one set of said frame bars having a plurality of pins projectingtherefrom and the opposing set of frame bars having apertures inalinement with and adapted to receive said pins, means associated withsaid last-named frame bars and adjustable on each of said pins formoving said opposing frame bars toward and from one another, and meansfor simultaneously adjusting said last-named means.

5. In a racket press a frame comprising a pair of side members and apair of end members, each of said side members having a pin projectingfrom one of its faces adjacent each of its ends, a second frame mountedin opposed relation to said firstnamed frame comprising a pair of sidemembers each having apertures to receive the pins carried by the sidemembers of the opposing frame, and a pair of end members each composedof a pair of links having their adjacent ends in lapping relation andpivoted together, a rotatable member carried by the outer end of each ofsaid links and mounted on one of said pins and adapted, when rotated inone direction, to cause said opposing frames to move toward one another,and when rotated in the opposite di rection to permit said frames tomove away from one another, and a connection between the opposite endmembers of said lastnamed frame for simultaneously moving said endmembers and rotating said rotatable members.

6. A racket press comprising parallel pairs of frame bars having alignedapertures in their ends, threaded bolts passing through said apertures,heads at one end of the bolts and nuts threaded to the opposite endwhereby the distance between the parallel frame bars may be adjusted forcausing limited rotation of said nuts on said bolts simultaneously andfor preventing rotation beyond said limits in the adjusted position.

7. A racket press comprising pairs of frame bars, threaded boltsconnecting the ends of the pairs of bars and slidable in apertures insaid bars, nuts threaded onto said bolts, toggles for simultaneouslyoperating said nuts, and means to prevent said bolts from rotating, andmeans for locking said toggles in various positions.

8. A racket press comprising pairs of parallel frame bars having alignedapertures in their ends, parallel members connecting said pairs, boltsheaded at one end and threaded at the other, passing through andslidable in the apertures in said frame bars, springs on said boltsbetween said bars, nuts on the threaded ends of said bolts, slottedlinks secured to said nuts, a rod connected to said links by meansslidable in said slots whereby the nuts may be ro tated a limited extentsimultaneously, and means for locking said last named rod in variouspositions of adjustment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES EDI/VIN COLTMAN.

lfitnesses RICHARD Conn GARDNER, HAROLD Conn GARDNER.

